Charles austin



(No Model.)

0. AUSTIN.

COMBINED PIANO AND REED ORGAN.

No. 262,916. Patented Aug. 22, 1882 i 0 Q f 1 I D I J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES AUSTIN, OF LOWELLJMASSAOHUSETTS.

COMBINED PIANO AND REED-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,916, dated August 22, 1882.

Application filed November 5, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that; I, CHARLES AUSTIN, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oombined Piano and Reed-0rgan, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pianos provided with a reed-organ attach ment to be opera ted, when desired, in conjunction with the piano or to remain silent while the piano is being played, and said invention is applicable as well to reedorgans in which it may be desirable temporarily to throw a set of tracker-pins out of reach of the keys.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end elevation of an upright piano provided with my improvements, a part of the end of the case being broken away to show the pianonction and the exhaust-bellows, wind-chests, reeds, tracker-pins, and means of connecting the organ with the keys of the piano. Figs. 2 and 3 represent the key, tracker-pin, reed, wind-chest, and exhaust-passage in vertical longitudinal section, the key being depressed in each figure, the upper end of the trackerpin in a position to be operated by the key in Fig. 2 and the reed-valve opened by the depression of the key in said Fig. 2, but in Fig. 3 said upper end of this tracker-pin turned over out of the reach of the key, and the valve consequently remaining closed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged oblique view of the upper ends of the tracker-pins, the piece which connects them with its j ournals, and the connecting-rod which runs from said piece to the lever by which the organ attachment is brought into play.

A is the case and frame of an upright piano; 13, the key, turning upon the fulcrum O; D, the riser; E, the jack-bed; J, the jack, pivoted to said bed and pressing npagainst the butt of the hammer F; H, the spring connected by the tape H to the hunter G of the hammer F; G, the back-catch, and I the string, all constructed, arranged, and operated in the usual manner.

K K is an exhaust-bellows, operated by a pedal or treadle, L, connected to the backboard of the bellows K by the rod L. The bellows K K are like those commonly employed in cabinet-organs, being double-that (No model.)

is, consisting of two compartmentsthe valve M of one, K, opening into the other compartment, K, and the valve M of the latter opening outward, so that the operation of the treadle draws the air from the wind-chest into the bellows K by the passage P, and from the bellows K into the bellows K, and cxpels theair from the bellows K. When the bellows Koontracts the valve M closes, and the bellows K, which has been contracted by drawing the air from it, is expanded by the spring N, and continues to exhaust the air from the windchest for a short time, so that when the pedal L is operated the air flows continuously from the chest 0 0 through said passage P, and the air, rushing into said wind-chest and through the reed Q, sounds the latter. This takes place, however, only when the valve R is open. When it is shut no air can pass through the reed and the reed does not sound. The valve It is of the form shown, being rhombic in cross-section and rocking on one of its obtuse angles. one of its fiat sides serving, when down, to close the aperture B into the reedbox 0 or upper compartment of the windchest 0 0, and it is so forced down by the spring R resting upon the front end of the valve. The tracker-pin S S rests on the rear end of the valve, the top of said pin being provided with a loop, S or rounded bearin g for the key to rest upon when the organ attachment is in use, at which time the depression of the key opens the valve R and allows the reed to be sounded by the operation of the bellows. It not being at all times desirable to use the organ attachment in connection with the piano, the upper part, S, of the tracker-pin is hinged or jointed at S to the lower part, S, and may be bent forward so as not to be touched by the key B when the latter is depressed, as shown in Fig. 3. In order that all the trackerpins of the instrument may be simultaneously disconnected from the piano-action, they are all connected to each other by the strip or piece T, Fig. 4, through which the parts S all project. The piece T is provided at each end with an arm, V, turning upon a pivot, V, in a stationary part, W, secured to the frame. A lever, X, pivoted to a bracket, X, secured to the frame, is connected by the rod U to the piece '1, so that pushing the upper end of said lever X back bends the upper ends of all the pin S S, the lever X, and connecting mechantracker-pins forward into the position shown ism, as and for the purpose specified. in Fig. 3. 3. The combination of a plurality ofjointed :5

The above-described improvements may be tracker-pins S S, the connecting-piece T, pro- 5 used in a horizontal piano or in an organ havvided with the arm V and turning upon a pivot,

iug more than one set of tracker-pins. V, in the part W of the frame, the connecting- 1 claim as my invention rod U, and the lever X, as and for the purpose 1. The combination of the key B and the specified. jointed tracker-pin S S and means for throw- CHARLES AUSTIN. 1o iug the upper end of the same out of reach of YVituesses: 7

said key, as and for the purpose specified. ALBERT M. MOORE,

2. The combination of the jointed trackerl HARRY \V. KENNEY. 

